Portugal Tours

Portugal is a country on the Iberian Peninsula, located in southwestern Europe. Portugal was voted “Best European Country” to visit by USA TODAY (2014). It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are ... also part of Portugal. During the 15th and 16th centuries, with a global empire that included possessions in Africa, Asia, and South America, Portugal was one of the world's major economic, political, and cultural powers. Today it is a major tourist destination with the historic city of Lisbon, the Azores resorts, and gorgeous coastline of the Algarve. Portugal is one of the warmest European countries, the annual temperature averages in mainland Portugal are 13 °C (55 °F) in the north and 18 °C (64 °F) in the south.Show More

Taste your way through Portugal's west coast on this stylish gastronomic and cultural tour. Discover Lisbon and Porto's hidden food treasures, learn insider culinary secrets at a Portuguese cooking class, visit world-class wineries and explore the best city sights with a private guide.

Watch the modern-day intrepid come and go in the cosmopolitan yacht harbour of Horta, and visit Machigo where the early explorers first landed. This journey explores Portugal's unique archipelago - from the wine and embroidery of Madeira, to the volcanic islands of the Azores.

Experience the Gothic charms of Lisbon, wander the flower-scented Alhambra palace in Granada, and take in a spellbinding Flamenco performance in Seville. See the best of Portugal and Southern Spain – tailored just for you.

BEFORE YOU GO

On Your Portugal Tour

PASSPORTS

VISAS

INSURANCE

VACCINATIONS

MEDICATION

WEATHER, SEASONS & CLIMATE

ELECTRICITY, PHONE & INTERNET

CURRENCY

Quick Facts

Passport Requirements for Portugal Tours

American and Canadian citizens must have a passport that is valid for at least 90 days beyond the intended return date in order to enter and depart the country. Tourists must also provide proof of return or onward travel. Each traveler is responsible for ensuring that his/her passport is up to date. Citizens of other nationalities should check with respective authorities before departure.

Please ensure that the name on your passport matches all travel documents we have issued. If this is not the case, please contact us immediately.

Please make a photocopy of your passport’s identification page and keep it separate from your original. It’s also a good idea to leave a digital copy with someone at home. This may speed up the replacement process should you lose your passport.

Visa Requirements for Portugal Tours

U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the country for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Citizens from other countries may require a valid visa. These requirements change often and therefore it is best that you check with the Embassy of Portugal for the most up-to-date visa information.

Insurance Recommendations for Portugal Tours

Cancelation and Medical Insurance is highly recommended as it can safeguard against the expenses associated with in-country medical emergencies, lost or delayed baggage and emergency cancelation or interruption of your trip. Please ensure your policy will provide you with upfront medical coverage so that you are not responsible for a hefty medical bill. Insurance can be purchased through us.

Vaccination Requirements for Portugal Tours

We always recommend that you see a doctor or health-care provider who specializes in Travel Medicine. They will best determine your vaccination and medication needs based on your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, planned activities and up-to-the-minute requirement changes. For all vaccinations and health requirements, we also recommend that you consult the World Health Organization (WHO): http://www.who.int or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) http://wwwnc.cdc.gov.

Medication Requirements for Portugal Tours

If there are any medical items that are essential to your health, such as prescription drugs or corrective eye wear, bring duplicates and divide them between your checked bags and hand luggage. While non-prescription drugs such as aspirin are generally available, it is difficult to replace prescription items.

Weather, Seasons and Climate in Portugal

Portugal is one of the warmest European countries. It can become rainy and windy during autumn and winter, but spring and summer see temperatures soar as high as 104°F around the interior and 95°F in the north. The northwest has mild winters with high levels of rainfall, and fairly short summers. The northeast experiences longer winters and hot summers. In the south, summers (May to October) are warm with very little rain except in early spring and autumn. Snow will fall in the north, but melts quickly. For up-to-date forecasts, check weather.com.

Electricity, Phone and Internet in Portugal

Electricity in Portugal is supplied at 230 volts. Sockets are designed to accept round plugs with two pins. Some sockets will take the plugs with large prongs only; others will take the ones with small prongs. A multi-adaptor with different plug configurations can be very useful. We advise not to bring a hair dryer as it could blow a fuse.

Phone: Roaming charges vary between carriers, but tend to be quite costly. Consult your phone provider prior to departure to discuss overseas rates and international package options. It is also possible to purchase a SIM card locally to avoid international charges when calling numbers within Portugal. (You should check to see that your cell phone is SIM card compatible.)

Internet: Internet cafés and wireless access is available in most urban areas, airports and hotels. Connection is fast.

Currency in Portugal

Generally speaking, we advise bringing €70-100 per day, per person, for spending money. Be sure to bring lots of small bills for porters, wait staff and housekeeping (not obligatory and based on your satisfaction). Euro paper money comes in different colors and denominations (5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 notes). There are also Eurocent coins: 1 cent, 2 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 and 2 Euro. Your largest bills should be 50 Euros, with a combination of 5’s, 10’s and 20’s. We recommend that you bring approximately 100 Euros of spare cash in small denominations to have ready for tips and expenses when you first arrive.

We recommend that you get local currency from your bank before you leave home or from a bank machine in-country which is much cheaper than an exchange service at the airport or in tourist areas. There are ATMs (Multibanco) at most of the larger supermarkets and shopping areas in most towns with instructions available in English if required. You can only take out a maximum of €200. ATM machines are available for cash advances by credit cards but a Personal Identification Number (PIN) must be set up with your bank prior to travel in order to access cash from an ATM. If you receive a ‘service unavailable’ message, it is most likely that the machine is out of cash - especially at weekends and on Monday mornings. The machine will have an icon with a cross though it.